Brassiere



April 5, 1949.

Y TJSCIHA'UMER BRASSIERE Filed April 11, 1945 lNVENTOE flea swam By W I hr'romm Patented Apr. 5, 1949 BnAssmRE Theo Schaumer, Los Angeles, Calii'., assignor to Hollywood-Maxwell Company, Los Angelcs, Calm, a corporation of California Applicatlon, ADrll 1l, 1945, Serial No. 587,667

1 Claims. m. 2-42) This invention relates to brassires.

In garments of this character, twobreast recelving cups are provided for. supporting the breasts. A body-encircling band, to which the cups are appropriately fastened, serves to hold the garment in place. This band is often supplemented by shoulder straps.

Brassieres of this character are entirely satisfactory; but, when low-cut evening gowns are worn, such gowns reveal that part of the brassiere which extends between the cups. It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a brassiere' that can be worn under such gowns without exposing any part of the brassiere.

In order to accomplish this result, the material connecting the breast cups at the hollow between the breasts is disposed well below the rounded portions of the breasts; and the cups are otherwise supported so that they are maintained in proper position with respect to the breasts. Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a cup-supporting means that may be left concealed even when low-cut gowns are used.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention.

For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a brassiere embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the lower front portion of the brassire as viewed from the inner side of the garment;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along plane 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. '4 is a pictorial view showing the brassiere in position on a wearer.

The brassiere is provided with two breast cups I and 2 that are domed to accommodate the breasts of the wear. These cups may be made of any suitable fabric, such as lace, silk, or a combination of such fabrics.

The lower edges 3 and 4 of the cups I and 2 are joined, as by sewing, to the members 5 and 2 which may be of stout satin, or the like, and which may each be provided with a concave upper edge for reception of the lower portions of the cups. These two members 5 and 8, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, may be joined by the elastic webbing 1. A supplemental elastic webbing 8 may Join the lower edges of the cups I and 2 and may be covered, as indicated in Fig. l, by the decorative bows 9 and III. The outer edges 29 and 30 of the cups I and 2 are shown as joined to the generally triangular members II and I2. The lower edges of these members are joined, as'by the stitching I3 (Fig. 3) to the members 5 and 6. A'thin reinforcing band 28, as of satin, may be used as a backing for the seam or stitching I3. Such reinforcement, as indicated in Fig. 1, may

i-also be utilized along the upper edges of the members II and I2, as well as at their lower edges.

The member 6 is provided with an elastic webbing extension I4 and an eyelet-forming member I5 adapted to co-operate'with hooks I 6 at the end of the member 5. In this way, the elements 5, 9, 6. I4, and I5 provide a body-encircling member adapted to encompass the body of the wearer.

In order to avoid irritation of the skin of the wearer, a fabric member II (Figs. 2 and 3) having a soft, long nap, such as velvet, may be provided along the inner side of the members 5 and 6. This high pile fabric may be appropriately sewed, as by the seam I8, to the upturned lower edge of the member 5 or 6. Other pieces of such high pile fabric may also be attached at other points as desired, where the garment touches the skin of the wearer.

Adjustable shoulder straps I9 and 20 are also provided. These shoulder straps are joined to the body-encircling members 5' and 6; and to the top portion of the cups I and 2.

The elastic members I and 8 are disposed close to the bottom line of the garment. In this way, as heretofore stated, low-cut dresses may be worn without exposing the brassiere in the depression formed between the inner sides of the breasts. However, it is necessary to provide reinforcement for the cups I and 2 in order to ensure that they will remain in close breast-supporting position. For this purpose, use is made of two separate reinforcing or stiffening members 2I and 22, such as a stiff wire. These members extend along the inner edges of the cups I and 2 and over the upper edges to points beyond the shoulder straps. The ends of the wires are indicated by the lines 23 and 24 in Fig. 1. These reinforcing wires are passed through the narrow fabric piping 25-26 formed around the edges of the cups I and2. reinforcing members 2| and 22 are bent toward each other, as, indicated at 21 in Fig. 2, and extend entirely to the lower edge of the garment.

The lower ends of the wire may be provided so long as it is sumcientiy rigid to support the inner and upper edges of the breast cups I and I. By the provision oi these reinforcing members or stii'ieners ii and 22, together with the elastic webbing I and l, the brassiere cups remain in position althoughthe wearer may impose considerable stress upon them.

The inventor claims:

1. Inabrassirezapairoibreastcupsneparate body-encircling members supporting the breast cups at their lower edges; an elastic portion connectin8 the encircling members between the breast cups and adjacent their lower edges; separate stifleners having their lower ends anchored in the connections of the encircling members and elastic portion; said stifleners being secured in the inner edges of the breast cups and extending to a point along the upper edges thereof; and shoulder straps attached to the body-encircling members and to the breast cups at their upper edges in a manner to support the upper ends of the stiileners.

2. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; separate body-encircling members supporting'the breast cups at their lower edges; an elastic portion connecting the encircling members between the 4 inner edges oi said cups being tree from interconnection above said elastic portion; separate stifleners having their lower ends anchored in the connections 0! the encircling members and elastic portions; said stiiieners being secured in the inner edges 01' the breast cups and extending to a point along the upper edges. thereof; and shoulder straps attached to the body-encircling members and to the breast cups at their upper edges in a breast cups and adjacent their lower edges; separate stiileners having their lower ends anchored in the elastic portion; said stifleners supporting the inner edges oi the breast cups and extending to a point along the upper edges thereof; and shoulder straps attached to the body-encircling members and to the breast cups at their upper edges in a manner to support the upper ends or the stifleners.

3. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; separate body-encircling members supporting'the breast cups at their lower edges; an elastic portion connecting the encircling members between the breast cups and adjacent their lower edges, said elastic portion also connecting the breast cups immediately above said encircling members. the

manner to support the upper ends o the stifleners.

4. in a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; separate body-encircling members supporting the breast cups at their lower edges; an elastic portion connecting the encircling members between the breast cups and adjacent their lower edges. said elastic portion also connecting the breast cups immediately above said encircling members. the inner edges oi said cups being free from interconnection above said elastic portion; separate stiflene'rs having their lower ends anchored in the elastic portion; said stiiieners supporting the inner edges of the breast cups and extending to a point along the upper edges thereof: and shoul-, der straps attached to the body-encircling members and to the breast cups at their upper edges in a manner to support the upper ends or the stifleners.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile 01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PANTS 

